


Misdirection

by notabadday



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:32:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1404970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notabadday/pseuds/notabadday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-ep for The War at Home, taking a little detour from canon.</p><p>"If you polled 100 Donnas and asked them if they think we should go out, you’d get a high positive response. But, the poll wouldn’t tell you it’s because she likes you, and she knows it’s beginning to show and she needs to cover herself with misdirection."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misdirection

It had been another long day in the White House for the deputy chief of staff, after the State of the Union address and the polling that procedurally followed. All day a conversation from the night before echoed through Josh’s mind, providing an unwelcome distraction. “She likes you and she knows it’s beginning to show, and she needs to cover herself with misdirection.” Joey had got inside his head. Even as he had replied, he hadn’t been sure of himself. He was even less sure of himself now, and had taken to actively avoiding Donna ever since.

“Meeting okay?” Donna’s arms were full of folders as she met him in the lobby on his way back from an Oval Office meeting. It was long past 8pm, but she didn't seem anywhere close to finishing work for the night. 

He nodded.

"CJ was looking for you and there's someone from Senator Moseley's office on the phone for you. He gave me attitude though, so I think you should make him wait a little bit. Nothing like a held call to make him learn that special lesson," Donna explained quickly as she fell into a stride with her boss. In her own flow, it took her a little time to realize that he hadn't been listening. "Josh?"

He nodded distractedly, before refocusing on her. "Come into my office for a minute, Donna. I... I need you talk to you," he said sombrely.

“Yeah," she agreed, before briefly diverting his attention. "How did it go with Joey last night, Joshua? Did you ask her on that date yet?” Donna was smiling, happily ignoring the seriousness of his expression. She stopped off at her desk to dispense of the folders she was carrying, before moving in the direction of Josh’s office.

 Josh rolled his eyes. “Donna, I’d appreciate it if you dropped this.”

 “But Josh, I want to help. I don’t want you to be one of those lonely old men in trench coats that everyone assumes is crazy.”

 “I appreciate the sentiment.” As they entered Josh’s office, he posed against the door frame with his posture arched over Donna. She looked at him as the mood transformed, highlighted now by Josh's return to solemnity. He paused for a moment, acknowledging her confusion, before turning to close the door.

 “What is it? Why are you acting strange?”

 “I need a reason?”

 “Guess not.” Donna accepted, shrugging.

 “Joey said something and…”

 “…You want me to decode it for you?” Donna interrupted, anticipating the direction of their conversation.

 “Uh, yeah. No. I don’t know.”

 “Gee Josh, that 760 verbal is serving you well.”

 “She said something about you and… I don’t know. It’s playing on my mind. Joey thinks…” Josh stumbled over his words as Donna looked intently at him. “She thinks you _like_ me. She thinks that the reason you keep telling me to ask her out is to,” he paused, “cover yourself with misdirection.”

 "Wow, this all feels very fifth grade," Donna replied, deeply alarmed by the sudden shift, both in their topic of conversation and their relationship. She took a minute to regroup. "I think you and Joey would make a nice couple.”

Josh looked frustrated by the avoidance in her response, oblivious to her meaning. “Okay. But, even though we wouldn’t have to get our towels re-monogrammed, I’m not gonna date Joey Lucas.”

 “I’ll drop it then.”

 “Okay.” Josh allowed himself to express some relief. “You would tell me if Joey was right, right?”

 “I already did.” Donna said, cryptically.

 “What?”

 “Misdirection, Josh. You’d be lost on your own, wouldn’t you?” Donna giggled through the barrage of tension as Josh screwed up his face in confusion. “I’m sorry. Just… ignore Joey and go back to work.”

 “I understand... nothing.”

 “Josh.”

 You could almost hear the cogs turning in Josh’s mind until his expression suddenly changed to one of enlightenment. “She was right. That’s what’s going on here. You  _do_  like me! You like me?” His tone was teasing as though he’d found out a rumor that he could spread all around high school. That was, until he considered the weight of it. "Joey... was right."

 “Josh.” Donna repeated. He focused in on her, recognizing vulnerability in her expression.

 “Yes?”

 “What are you going to do if I tell you Joey might be right?” Donna asked, tentatively.

 “I don’t know. Freak out for twenty minutes. Strategize. Maybe eat a muffin. Maybe, you know, ask you out for dinner. This being, well, hypothetical,” Josh replied. 

Donna stood only a foot in front of the door, with Josh now consciously closing the gap between their silhouettes.

 “Joey might be right,” Donna admitted with more confidence. She smiled, keeping her teeth concealed.

 Josh’s face mirrored Donna’s, dimples on full display, and he stepped forward boldly, no space left between them. His hand slipped around Donna’s waist, evenly caressing her back. Confidently, but with no discouragement from Donna, he pushed her against the door with urgency, using his other hand as a buffer to stop Donna from hitting her head. Still grinning, their faces were cheek to cheek as they embraced each other. Josh moved one of his hands to delicately meet her face. 

Josh’s hand descended from the middle of Donna’s back, pulling her to him. The hand still stroking her jaw line moved a thumb tenderly across her parted lips. Even had he not warned her of his intentions with the movement of his thumb, his pouted lips made it clear. Donna’s breath caught as she anticipated his kiss and, before she could take another, Josh caught her mouth with his. They pressed against each other, their kiss devoid of the restraint they had depended on for years.

 “I wasn’t expecting that when I woke up this morning.” Donna smiled blissfully at Josh as he looked frustrated by the break of their kiss.

"That was… nice. Are you okay?” Josh appealed to gauge Donna’s reaction to what had just gone on between them.

 “Pretty good. Depending on… what level of meltdown you’re about to have.” Donna smiled a little as she observed his awkward disposition.

 “Meltdown? You think too little of me, Donnatella Moss. I just wanted to check you weren’t feeling taken advantage of.” Josh surprised her with a calm intonation.

 “No more than usual,” Donna replied, playfully.

 “Do you wanna go eat out? You’ve got the prep for tomorrow filed already, right?” He was so relaxed; it was alarming to Donna that he had adopted such a blasé attitude.

 “Sorry, what?” Donna couldn’t hide her astonishment.

 “Food.”

 “You want to go out – together? Like this?”

 “Well, I thought you might like…”

 “What if someone sees us?”

 “Then they see us.”

 “Okay, what’s going on? You're being crazy."

"Donna..."

"I’m your assistant. You know I will wait... It can wait. Till all this is over. You don’t know what kind of hit this could be on the White House. You aren’t totally devoid of sense right now, are you Josh? I mean, come on. I’ll be around. I’ll always be around, Josh.” Donna spoke cautiously, and watched Josh’s expression soften.

 “Wait for me?”

 “I mean, I just kinda thought… if it happened it would be after re-election or after you leave the White House. One day we'll live in a world where Sam's prostitute friend isn't front page news, and it'll be easier. You and I can..."

"Do you want easier?"

Donna laughed nervously before replying, "Yes, but I'd rather have you."

 Rather charmed, Josh raised his eyebrows with a goofy smile. “I think we should just say screw it. Besides, people won’t care.”

 “Are you sure about that?” 

 “Yeah," he replied, smugly. "Turns out you’re not the only person who likes to meddle in my love life. Joey did a poll. She did an independent poll and she asked the question. Not directly; it was covered in… misdirection. Sure, voters don’t like it. I think people get off on being judgmental, on a scandal." Josh digressed with his own frustration, before finding his way back to the point. "But she also asked them how much do they care…”

 Donna observed a smile breaking out over Josh’s face. “Ah... Well, as long as you got numbers.”

"I got numbers," he said confidently, nodding as he moved back to kiss her again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
